Sweetest Dreams (Album)
Recording On November 18th, 2017 Callie Hunter's personal computer crashed, losing up to dozens of demos for her seventh studio album. Discouraged, she decided to wait until the end of her Bad Decisions Tour to record new material. On January 2nd, 2018 Hunter confirmed she had just started working on new music. In April 2018, Hunter blacked out her social media and then on May 1st her manager Greg Lockhart confirmed her album was "mostly done but that she was still recording" announcing that a new single was "on the way" as well. Just before her set at the Starlight Shores Summer Music Fest on June 16th, 2018, Hunter tweeted "august" and also performed part of a new, unnamed song during the show. Later she tweeted "24th" Composition While making her first public appearance in months at the 2018 Simmy Awards, Callie Hunter talked briefly about her seventh studio album. Hunter said she was working "very slowly" but that she was excited for the music, describing it as "both fun and a bit more pop" On April 23rd, 2018, Greg Lockhart, Callie Hunter's manager, told Associated Music "Callie is taking her time on the album and she's just hit her sweet spot. The album is coming along quickly now, which is great, because it has taken her so so long to find a sound. A lot of people don't know but her dad hasn't been doing well and she had a bad break up last year so it's been a lot to process. But we're working hard and this album is so special to her to team." Lockhart continued saying "The album still wont be out for awhile but definitely by the end of the year." Singles On May 8th, 2018 Callie Hunter announced via twitter her new single "Here Comes The Rain" will be released on May 18th, 2018. The song was written by Hunter with songwriter Pia Geijer and it was produced by Elliot Lagerfelt and Jonathan Angstrom of the Swedish pop duo Livstid. The group also record another song together that was teased to be released in the coming weeks. The song was confirmed as the lead single by Callie on twitter. While headling at the Starlight Shores Summer Music Fest in June 2018, Callie Hunter performed a snippet of an unknown song. Later confirming that she would be appearing on Good Morning Today! as part of their summer concert series, Hunter said the she would be performing the song for the first time. The single, "Wrong Side Of It" featuring Remi Leigh was performed and then announced to be release on June 29th with the album's pre-order. On July 10th, 2018 to celebrate her 29th birthday Hunter released "As Rain Goes By..." On July 27th, 2018 Hunter released "Something Beautiful" as the official second single from Sweetest Dreams and it later debuted on the Hot 100 at #15. September 18th, 2018, "Sweetest Dreams" was released as the third single to Pop Radio. Critical Reception When the album was released initial fan reaction was predictably positive. According to Compound Critic, the album received a total of 13 reviews. The album has a total score of 81 indicating positive reviews. The album's user score is 8.7. TSBuzz said "after just a half decade in the limelight, Hunter is an icon. Sweetest Dreams''proves that and more." Track List Only "Here Comes The Rain" and "Wrong Side Of It" were revealed when the album was made for pre-order on June 19th, 2018. It is Hunter's shortest album at just 10 tracks. Commercial Performance After 34 minutes of being released, ''Sweetest Dreams debuted at #1 on the MUZE Top Albums retail chart. After it's first full week of release, it is predicted that Sweetest Dreams will debut in the top 5 of the Album 200 chart with 100,000 in SEA, TEA, and pure sales combined. On September 4th, 2018 it was announced that Sweetest Dreams debuted on the Album 200 chart at #1 with 181,000 equivalent units. It is Hunter's third number one album, and third consecutive album. It has the lowest opening figure of any of her number one albums, with 92,000 units being from physical sales despite achieving over 30,000,000 combined streams in it's first week. In other parts of the world the album missed the top spot, only achieving #1 in the US as well as on the Japanese International Albums chart. The following week, Sweetest Dreams fell 1-4 on the Album 200 chart, earning 87,000 in Sales Plus Streaming (SPS) with 30,000 being from physical sales. It feel again the week of September 17th, from #4 to #5 with a total 76,000 SPS. In Japan the album rose to #1 on the Japan Album 200 chart on it's third week, boosted by a press run by Hunter there. It is the first album for Hunter to hit #1 in Japan and the first by a western artist in 2018. As of October 8th, Sweetest Dreams has remained in the top ten six consecutive weeks, where it sits at #10.